Emily Owens: The Alphabet Series
by hamima
Summary: A non-contiguous set of one-shots inspired by the alphabet and sharing glimpses into the lives of Emily Owens and Micah Barnes after the end of the TV series. Some pieces will include other characters. If you are looking for "Birthday" "Hospital Visit" or "Interns", they are all in this collection.
1. A is for Attending

**Author's Note: **_The one-shots I was writing were somehow aligning themselves to the letters of the alphabet, so I've decided to just create one big collection. There will (obviously) be 26 installments. I'll update as often as I can. I will also be moving "Hospital Visit" and "Interns" into this collection._

Dr. Gina Bandari is sitting at her desk doing paperwork when Micah enters.

"You wanted to see me?" he asks, standing just inside the door. Her page had come at an inconvenient moment. He had been hoping to catch Emily before he scrubbed in on his next surgery. If this meeting didn't take very long, he might still have time.

Dr. Bandari glances at him once before finding a stopping place in her work and putting down her pen. She sits back in her chair, staring at him penetratingly.

"Are you sleeping with Emily Owens?" she asks bluntly, eyes narrowing slightly.

Micah's mind races for a moment as he tries to decide how to respond. He had been expecting his relationship with Emily to become a part of the rampant gossip in the hospital. He had also expected his actions as a resident to be scrutinized for biased behavior by the other interns. However, having double and triple checked the hospital's policies regarding workplace relationships, he had not expected Gina Bandari to summon him to her office to discuss the matter. She barely tolerated most professional interactions with interns; she certainly wouldn't be expected to take an interest in their love lives.

Despite his initial confusion, Micah remains calm. Showing weakness in Dr. Bandari's presence is not an option. By now, he is a 5th year resident and a confident surgeon. He has established a reputation at Denver Memorial as a knowledgeable yet likeable professional. Most importantly, he has learned to no longer be intimidated by the woman sitting before him. It helps that their relationship has changed over time. While she is still his superior, the constant chastisement has ended and she has shown additional trust in his skill recently by letting him handle more cases and showing preference for his assistance in the OR. Their respect for each other as colleagues has finally become mutual. Micah is certainly not going to jeopardize that by cowering before her now.

"Professionally, I don't know that my relationship status is any of your business" he says coolly. "And if you are finally taking an interest in my personal life, you could have at least invited me out for a beer instead of summoning me to your office."

He can tell by the slight lift of her eyebrows that she is surprised by his boldness. However, she merely continues to stare him down.

Micah really doesn't have time for this right now. He looks away momentarily, exhaling in exasperation before trying again.

"Dr. Owens and I are maintaining professional behavior in the workplace, and there is no policy in this hospital that prohibits romantic relationships between colleagues." He says finally.

"And as a resident, carrying on a romantic relationship with one of your interns didn't strike you as being at all questionable?" She asks sarcastically, raising an eyebrow.

"I think we both know it wouldn't be the first time something like that happened in this hospital" he throws back at her.

While she tries to hide it, his reference to her affair with Dr. Aquino affects Dr. Bandari more than he expected. She pales slightly and looks away.

Feeling slightly guilty, Micah sighs and throws his hands up in surrender. "Gina, why am I here?"

She takes a cleansing breath and picks up her pen again before finally looking at him. When she speaks, her voice holds nothing but its usual cool professionalism. "I wanted to let you know that, beginning tomorrow, Dr. Owens will be answering directly to me at all times. As my research assistant, she will only be put under your supervision when and if I have time to share her."

Micah stares at her incredulously for a minute before nodding his head in mock understanding. "You think I can't remain unbiased in my duties as resident." He accuses her.

Dr. Bandari puts the pen down forcibly and looks at him sharply. "You want to know what I _think_, Dr. Barnes? I _think_ that, if you can continue to stay focused, you are well on your way to becoming an exceptional surgeon. I _think_ that of all of this year's interns, Dr. Owens shows the most potential. I _think_ that in the future, both of you would be valuable additions to this hospital staff. And I _think_ I would rather not jeopardize the future success of this institution, not to mention my personal research, by losing one or both of you to a failed case of puppy love. So what I _think_, Dr. Barnes, is that it is well within my job description as an Attending to decide how Emily Owens spends her time in this hospital."

A long moment passes as the two surgeons look at each other. "Understood," Micah says finally. Somehow he manages to keep his voice apathetic sounding despite the fact that his mind is still reeling from everything she has just admitted in her outburst.

Calmly, Dr. Bandari picks up the pen again and goes back to writing. "I expect you to explain the new arrangement to Dr. Owens. That will be all, Dr. Barnes."

Micah nods his acquiescence and turns to go.

"Micah."

When he turns back, Dr. Bandari is looking at him, her expression unreadable. "I'm not as cold as everyone thinks. Don't screw it up."

Micah feels a sudden wave of affection wash over him. She may not always be good at showing it, but she really does care. "Have a good afternoon, Gina." he says sincerely before walking out the door.

A glance at the clock shows it is too late to see Emily before surgery, so he sends her a quick text asking her to meet him at the bar after work. They are going to have a lot to talk about.


	2. B is for Birthday Party

**Author's Note: **_I didn't specifically write this as "the timeline," but if you're trying to figure out where each story fits in my Emily Owens Universe, this is a pretty good resource. _

The first party is completely Will's fault. Trying to keep Emily off balance and flustered, he invites the whole hospital to her tiny apartment on her birthday. Shockingly, the whole thing goes over without a hitch, and afterwards Emily finds herself held in high admiration within the halls of Denver Memorial, the awkwardness of her first few weeks all but forgotten. After all, hardly anyone is magnanimous enough to invite even maintenance and the records office personnel to a party with free beer and pizza.

The second year, people at work begin asking Emily two full weeks before her birthday whether or not she's having another party. Emily tries to explain that she's really not a birthday person and there won't be a party this year, but no one seems to be listening. After all, the year before, invitations hadn't gone out until the day of the party. They think she's just holding out on them to save money on food.

Finally, Emily realizes she's committed whether she likes it or not. It's either throw a birthday party or risk losing her likability status at work. Besides, Tyra promises to help and Micah needs the distraction of something fun. After two days of planning and preparation, Emily at least feels ready this year when she goes home from work to an apartment full of people. The night is deemed even more successful than the year before, although Cassandra and Will never show. Emily wonders if anyone at all went to the smaller invitation-only party she heard they were throwing.

By the third year, Emily and Micah are a well established couple. Emily's apartment is beginning to feel a little small for the event, so Micah helps her rent out a local venue. As an additional surprise, he hires one of her favorite Denver music groups for the evening. "I'm not a birthday person!" exclaims Emily, when the band comes in and asks where to set up. "Who says any of this is for you?" asks Micah with a twinkle in his eye. "Gotta keep up your reputation, don't we?"

When it comes time for the fourth party, Micah and Emily are engaged and have just bought a house with enough room for everyone, provided the weather holds and the overflow can go out into the backyard. "This is the best birthday party you've had yet" says their last tipsy guest on the way out the door. Emily looks at Micah in dismay. "I know." He says, recognizing the "I'm not a birthday person!" look in her eyes. Instead Emily says, "You know, you're not a birthday person either, so how come I am the only one who has to have a party?"

The next year, Dr. and Dr. Barnes send out invitations weeks in advance to what they call the "5th Annual Hospital Party". Instead of Emily's birthday, they pick the day exactly in between Micah's birthday and Emily's birthday. Even Gina Bandari and her husband attend this year, although the renowned doctor is decidedly confused. "I still don't understand why you keep calling it 'the 5th annual party'." she says. "I know I have never been to one of these before."

At the end of year six's celebration, Micah and Emily collapse on the couch, exhausted and survey the mess. "We're going to have to do this every year for the rest of our lives, aren't we?" asks Emily ruefully.

Micah chuckles and puts an arm around her shoulders. "Probably," He replies.

"We might want to think about making some changes for next year though since there will be a new baby in the house." Says Emily, looking into Micah's eyes with a shy smile.

"Are you serious?" exclaims Micah, grinning broadly.

Emily nods her head.

"Happy non-birthday, Dr. Barnes" she says as he pulls her closer for a kiss.

"Happy non-birthday, Dr. Barnes" he says back before kissing her again.


	3. C is for Complicated

**Author's Note:** _It's too bad we never got to meet Emily's mother on the show. Here's my take on what that character might have been like._

Micah can't remember the last time he saw Emily this nervous.

Over the past four years, the self conscious and awkward young Intern he once coaxed out of a stairwell has blossomed into one of Denver Memorial's most confident and competent surgical residents. Until today, that is. Today, Micah has been watching her drop tools, reread charts, and second guess every decision.

Now that they are waiting at Arrivals in the Denver Airport, Emily's distraction seems to have reached a fever pitch. As she begins to chew on a thumbnail, Micah finally reaches for her hand, startling her out of her reverie.

"Should I be worried, too?" he asks, only half joking, as she looks at him blankly.

Emily's eyes finally focus on his face. "What? No! Of course not," she says, giving him a weak smile. She's never been a very good liar.

He opens his mouth to say as much when a wave of people begins coming towards them, and he spots their guest.

There is no doubt that this woman is Emily's mother. The two share the same facial features and general mannerisms. However, there is an immediately noticeable difference in the way each woman conducts herself. While even a confident Emily Owens is generally quiet and thoughtful, it is clear her mother is more comfortable being the center of attention, a fact punctuated by her unnaturally red hair.

Ms. Owens finishes up an animated conversation she is having with another passenger before turning to look for her daughter. When she sees them, she squeals in delight and rushes over to throw her arms around Emily as she cries, "Here's my baby girl! Let me see the ring!"

Emily turns red and glances around, trying to determine how many people are watching as her mother gropes for her left hand and begins commenting about the size and set of the diamond. "Hi Mom!" she says with as much enthusiasm as she can muster. "This is Micah."

Micah flushes slightly as Emily's mother stops to look him up and down. "He's cute." She says to Emily in appraisal.

In the next moment, she has thrown her arms around Micah, and is squeezing him tightly as she says, "I was so sorry to hear about your mom, sweetie. I know I can't replace her, but I hope you'll think of me as your mother now too."

"Thank you" chokes out Micah, trying to breathe as her hug cuts off his air supply.

Twenty minutes later, they are settled in the car on their way to the house. Micah just listens as the women talk, although it sounds more like Emily's mother is conducting an interrogation. None of the questions are malicious, but they are exceptionally detailed and apparently endless. Sometimes Emily hardly even gets an answer out before her mother is on to the next question.

At one point Emily catches Micah's eye and sends him an apologetic look. Really, he feels he is the one who should be apologizing. This visit is his fault. After their engagement, he had insisted it was finally time for him to meet her mother.

Emily's face had taken on a pained look. "I don't know." She had hedged. "We can't possibly both get the time off work right now to go out there, and if we invite her here, she'll want us to entertain her…"

"Emily." Micah had interrupted her, simultaneously amused and puzzled by her hesitancy. "We're getting married. I want to meet your mother. Everything will be fine! Don't over think it."

"I'm definitely going to owe Emily an 'I told you so' when this is all over," Micah now thinks as he carries the bags to the guest room. "At least she's only staying a few days."

It turns out to be the longest five days of his life as he and Emily try to balance their grueling work schedules at the hospital with the seemingly boundless energy of Emily's mother.

The first day, Emily's mom assures them she will be fine while they are at work. However, half way through the day, Emily gets paged to the nurses' station. Her mother has shown up to surprise them with lunch for three. She wants to meet all their work friends and tour the hospital. It turns out sending her home is not an option. When they try, Ms. Owens takes it personally and begins to cry. While Emily finally convinces her to wait for them in the cafeteria where she can people watch, both Emily and Micah have a hard time concentrating on work the rest of the day as they wonder whether or not their guest will decide to wander the hospital again.

The second day, they try to plan ahead, leaving Emily's car and a list of things to do and see in Denver so Emily's mom can do some sightseeing. When they arrive home after another 12 hour shift, they find she has not only rearranged the furniture in their house to be "more inviting" but also reorganized the cupboards and drawers in their kitchen "for better efficiency." When they ask why she didn't go out, she explains that sightseeing alone is no fun. From the tone she uses, the speech is clearly meant to be a guilt trip.

The third day, Emily decides to take the day off, despite the complications this will cause at the hospital. Micah does his best to cover her cases in addition to his own workload. When he gets home, he decides Emily looks even more tired than he feels. She is attempting to make dinner while her mother happily plans details for the wedding.

"White is so boring. You should pick a happier color for your dress." says Ms. Owens. "What about a hot pink or a lemon yellow?"

"Mom," laughs Emily nervously, "I look horrible in yellow."

Her mother studies her for a moment. "It might work if you dyed your hair red. What do you think Micah? Don't you think Emmy would make a sexy redhead?" She winks at him before gasping in delight. "Then we could be twins, Em!"

Micah nearly chokes on his drink, but Emily doesn't even look up. She is still opening kitchen drawers, trying to find the spoons.

The fourth day, both Emily and Micah are supposed to have the day off, but Micah offers to entertain their guest alone so Emily can catch up at the hospital. He shows Ms. Owens around the city while she asks him a constant stream of questions about his life and family. He tries to deflect the more personally painful topics, but he is beginning to discover his future mother-in-law isn't always attuned to social cues. As they head back to the house, she sighs contentedly and says, "This is nice. I'll have to come back when skiing is in season." Micah bites his tongue and forces himself to smile companionably.

On the fifth and final day, they take Emily's mother, luggage and all, to Denver Memorial again. More prepared this time, they manage to keep her occupied until it is time to go to the airport.

As her mother finally disappears beyond the first security check point, Emily turns to smile tiredly at Micah. "You were amazing. She really likes you."

Micah returns the smile and puts an arm around her as they both stare off again in the direction their guest has gone.

"How do you feel about elopement?" he asks.


	4. D is for Dog

**Author's Note: **_If Will fell for Emily's sad puppy dog eyes, it stands to reason that Micah would too. This is another Emily and Micah plus kids piece._

As he comes in the back door, Micah notes the house is unusually quiet for a Saturday morning. He's been away from home for a little over 24 hours, having been called in for a fairly complex emergency surgery at the end of his shift yesterday. The lingering smell of pancakes in the air causes his stomach to growl, reminding him it has been a long time since he has eaten anything. Entering the kitchen, he finds his family clustered at the table, peering intently at a computer screen.

"What are you doing?" he asks casually.

Three heads turn immediately at the sound of his voice, greeting him warmly with bright smiles and words of welcome.

"We're getting a dog!" his son announces happily as a mini version of Emily launches herself at Micah, clasping him tightly around the legs.

"Oh, really?" asks Micah in surprise, looking at Emily as he returns his daughter's embrace with one arm.

"Sweetie, I didn't say that." admonishes a flustered Emily. "I didn't actually say that." She says again to Micah. "How did the surgery go? Are you hungry? There's a plate of pancakes for you in the fridge."

He recognizes the attempt at evasion and laughs at her while disentangling himself from their daughter's arms and making his way to the other side of the kitchen.

"You're not getting out of this that easily." he says. "When exactly did we decide to get a dog?"

"Well…." says Emily slowly. "It came up last night at dinner, and I said it is important to do a lot of thorough research before you buy a pet because it is going to be a member of your family. So, this morning, we started looking up some information."

Micah nods thoughtfully as he opens the refrigerator and takes out a carefully wrapped plate.

"They're blueberry" Emily supplies, getting up from her seat at the table to unload the dishwasher.

"So what have you found?" Micah asks once his meal is reheating in the microwave.

"Buddy!" says mini-Emily excitedly, pointing to the computer screen.

Micah comes over to look at the image of a young Labrador Retriever they have pulled up on one of the Denver animal shelter websites.

"Mom made us answer a bunch of questions about what kind of dog we should get, and we like this one best." His son explains.

Micah immediately turns back to Emily and quirks an eyebrow at her.

"We took a few online surveys to see what kinds of dogs fit our family, and then we did some looking around to see how many of them we could find locally." She says, seemingly too busy with her task to meet his eyes. "As it turns out, Buddy is currently available for adoption."

"And all this happened this morning? Well, I'm glad to know we're being careful about not rushing into anything." Micah says teasingly, as Emily comes back over to set a place for him at the table.

"Does that mean we can go get Buddy today?" asks their son, hopefully.

"Today?!" Micah squeaks, unable to mask his shock at this sudden revelation of their timetable.

"The website says change-over happens quickly, and if you see an animal you like, you should call. We don't really have anything else going on today…" Emily trails off with a shrug as she moves back to the microwave for the pancakes.

Micah sighs and rubs his face with his hands, unsure whether to laugh or cry at how out of control his life is feeling at the moment. He wishes he had snuck in a few more hours of sleep at the hospital.

It's clear from the furrow in Emily's brow that this was not the reaction she had been expecting from him. "I thought you said you have always wanted a dog?" she asks in confusion.

It's true. Micah loves dogs. As a child, "dog" had consistently been at the top of every birthday and Christmas list between the ages of 4 and 14. He had only stopped asking when he finally realized his mother's customary "maybe next year" response actually meant "no".

"Emily" says Micah quietly. "I'm not saying 'no' to a dog, it's just...I just walked in the door. Don't you think we could discuss this for a few more days? You know, look before we leap?" He hopes he doesn't sound too much like he's begging.

"What if someone else gets Buddy?" asks their son in alarm. He's been quietly listening to his parents talk, and disappointment is beginning to show in his face.

"That's always a possibility, sweetheart" says Emily, gently. "Even if we go today, we may decide Buddy would be happier with another family. But Micah," she says, turning her attention back to her husband and pushing the computer closer. "Did you really look at him? Just take a minute and look at those eyes."

Micah dutifully stares at the dog on the screen for a moment, considering. When he looks back at Emily, she is looking back at him with eyes that seem to have grown three sizes.

He looks away quickly.

"Oh-no." he laughs in exasperation. "Don't even think about using your puppy dog eyes on me."

"Please, Daddy?" he hears his daughter ask.

When Micah turns back towards his family, he can't help but groan. Two smaller versions of Emily's sad eyes, one blue and one brown, have joined her in looking at him longingly.

His eyes focus back on Emily as he makes one final, silent plea with her to be rational.

Instead, he hears the voice of his son.

"Please, Dad?"

Micah sighs in defeat, looking from the dog on the computer, to the clock, and finally back to his family.

"Do you think you should call to see if he's actually still available?" Micah asks.

"I did that 40 minutes ago." Emily admits guiltily. "They are hoping to see us before noon."

"Just let me finish my breakfast." he tells her in resignation, finally moving to sit at the place that has been set for him at the table.

The children let out an excited cheer as his daughter rushes over to hug him again.

"So now will you tell me about the surgery?" Emily asks happily, plopping into the chair beside him as the children simultaneously begin recounting the highlights of the past 24 hours and all the wonderful adventures they are going to have with their new dog, Buddy.

"THIS sounds more like Saturday morning" thinks Micah as he deliberately fills his mouth with food. If he doesn't eat now, he might not get another chance.


	5. E is for Engagement Ring

"Well, it won't happen if you don't ask her!"

The memory is so strong that Micah is almost surprised to not find his mother standing next to him at the ring display.

That particular argument had been about asking Emily on a first date, but he's pretty sure he would be hearing something similar right now if Joyce Barnes could see him getting ready to leave yet another jewelry store empty handed.

"She's a sweet girl, Micah, and she's good for you! You obviously love each other. What are you waiting for?"

The truth is he's not exactly sure. He has been looking at engagement rings for several weeks now, but for some reason it is taking him a long time to make a decision.

Of course, there's the practical aspect to consider. Even simple rings are problematic for the work of a surgeon. Should he buy Emily an inset that might be more adaptable to the medical setting, or just go for a traditional cut?

"Micah Mouse," his mother's voice says again inside his head. "Your father could have proposed with a ring from a Cracker Jack box and I would have said yes."

This time, the memory is from a more recent conversation. While dating Emily, Micah had found himself thinking more and more about his parents' relationship. Eventually, he had found the nerve to ask his mother about her marriage, and it had been a moving and meaningful conversation for both of them as they recalled both the happy and the sad times in their life as a family.

While the memories are sometimes hazy, Micah can distinctly recall his parents being happily married, sharing smiles and kisses and loving words. In the evenings after his dad came home from work, they would sometimes sit together in the big overstuffed armchair, his mother perched across his father's lap, as they talked quietly. Those were the days before Liz was born, and on a handful of occasions, "Micah Mouse" had been invited to join them in the chair after having been caught peeking at them from the doorway. To this day, Micah has never felt safer than those moments when he was nestled between his parents, listening to their heartbeats and surrounded by their love.

However, Micah's favorite memory of his parents is from when he was about seven. He can still picture his dad coming in from the cold with red nose and cheeks while his mom finished dishes. Micah would have called out a greeting if Dad had not put a finger to his lips and winked, asking for a secret silence. Enjoying the game, Micah had watched enthralled as his father approached his mother cautiously from behind and deliberately caressed the back of her neck with his frozen fingers. His mother had gasped in surprise and whirled around in irritation only to begin giggling when she saw the teasing grin on her husband's face. That's all Micah remembers. He had excused himself from the room in disgust when the kissing started.

Knowing what a happy marriage is supposed to look like is one of the things that makes the idea of marrying Emily so desirable. Of course there will be challenges and disagreements along the way, but he is certain they can be at least as happy as his parents, if not happier. So if it isn't a fear of commitment, what exactly is it that's stopping him now from finding a ring, he wonders again, pulling his coat a little tighter as he exits the jewelry store. Is there some final test they have to pass? Is he subconsciously expecting a sign? His original plan had been to surprise Emily, but maybe it would be easier to put an end to his seemingly fruitless search by asking her first and then going ring shopping together.

Micah still hasn't made a decision nearly two weeks later when he comes back from the hospital half frozen. Emily is making dinner, stirring something hot and savory smelling at the stove. As he takes off his coat, she smiles at him in greeting before turning back to her task. Micah moves through the room to stand behind her, kissing her lightly on the cheek before peeking over her shoulder at the contents of the pot. Then, without fully contemplating what he's doing, he eases his frozen fingertips underneath the edge of her shirt, brushing them against the bare skin at her waist.

Emily shrieks and jerks away from him, the spoon clattering to the floor as she whirls to face him. Her face is wide-eyed with shock, and for a moment, Micah believes she is angry. However, just as he begins to apologize, she laughs and throws her arms around his neck. In that moment, everything clicks into place, and Micah suddenly knows exactly which ring should be Emily's.

The next time Micah goes into the jewelry store, his mother's engagement ring is in his hand. He asks to have it re-sized.


	6. F is for Frenemy

Today is Dr. Cassandra Kopelson's last day at Denver Memorial.

It's the only thing Emily has been able to think about since she woke up this morning.

The maturity of adulthood has admittedly mellowed the animosity of their relationship to some extent. Cassandra's tricks are now typically calculated solely for professional gain while Emily is more confident in deflecting pettiness and defending herself. Truth be told, the two have worked relatively well together on several cases over the years, and Emily is even willing to admit a certain amount of respect for Cassandra's skills as a doctor. Still, the fact that the two women have also been in direct competition, requiring Emily to consistently watch her back, has made an already challenging residency experience that much more stressful. The thought that after today Cassandra might finally be out of her life forever is almost too good to be true, especially since Emily had thought the same thing on the day of their high school graduation.

With all these conflicting thoughts running through her mind, the sight of Dr. Kopelson already surrounded by a crowd of people at the nurse's station this morning is nearly unbearable to Emily, especially when she spots one of the nurses wiping away tears.

"Oh, come on! They can't possibly like her THAT much!" she thinks. "Am I the only one in the whole hospital who actually knows what kind of person Cassandra Kopelson really is?"

"Dr. Barnes!"

The sharp sound of Dr. Bandari's voice immediately snaps Emily's attention back to her surroundings. The attending physician is clearly irritated, and Emily has a sudden sinking feeling it isn't the first time she has been addressed.

"Yes, Dr. Bandari?" Emily responds, trying to sound as professional as possible. Out of the corner of her eye, she notices the interns standing with them are clearly shocked by Emily's lack of attention, and waiting with bated breaths to see what happens next.

Dr. Bandari rolls her eyes in exasperation before practically throwing the entire stack of charts she is holding into Emily's hands. "If you're going to insist on confusing everybody in the hospital by changing your name, the least you could do is remember it yourself" she huffs, storming past.

As the interns begin to snicker, Emily notices Cassandra looking at her with amusement from across the hall.

"Great." thinks Emily. "As if I needed one more reason to avoid her today!"

Later that afternoon, Micah finds Emily standing lost in thought as she watches people enter and exit Dr. Kopelson's going away party across the hall.

"Hey, you!" he says with a smile, squeezing her elbow affectionately. "I have a few minutes. Do you want to go with me? I heard the cake is really good."

Emily doesn't even glance at him as she shakes her head 'no', seemingly unable to take her eyes off the door leading to the party.

"I'm just too busy right now." She says absently, delivering the line of excuse she has been mentally practicing for the past few hours. Clearly she has forgotten that she is standing trancelike in the middle of the hall, looking the exact opposite of "too busy".

This fact is not lost on Micah who stares at her in bewilderment for a moment before following her gaze to the door and sighing dramatically. "Well then, you leave me no choice. I'm going in alone."

He takes a few steps forward before looking back over his shoulder. She can tell he's laughing at her and she shoots him a scowl. As far as she's concerned, Micah has just never understood.

As luck would have it, she still manages to encounter Dr. Kopelson alone in the locker room at the end of the day. Emily turns to sneak out undetected when the guilt of not having said goodbye begins to weigh on her conscience. Cassandra is standing as if frozen, a slightly lost look on her face and one hand resting sentimentally on her locker. A wave of compassion washes over Emily as she remembers just how fragile and insecure Cassandra really is beneath her usual mask of confident meanness.

"She looks like she needs a friend right now. Come on, Emily! Be the bigger person and leave it in a good place." Emily thinks to herself.

"Hi Cassandra" says Emily gently, startling the other doctor. "I've been meaning to tell you all day that I wish you all the best in Chicago. I know change can be hard, and I want you to know I'm going to miss you being here." Emily says sincerely, sitting down on the bench near where Cassandra is standing.

Just like that, the vulnerable look is gone. Cassandra gives Emily a dubious look and rolls her eyes before finally opening her locker and beginning to stuff her belongings into a bag. "Yeah, like you haven't been dreaming of having me out of the way for years."

Emily is completely taken aback. "I never…"

"But I gotta hand it to you," Cassandra continues suddenly, turning towards her again. "I really underestimated your ambition. Who knew you were the sort of person willing to sleep your way to the top? And I can only imagine what else you've done to get Gina to take such an interest in you! Impressive. Really Impressive."

"Cassandra!..."

Cassandra slams the locker shut with an exasperated sigh and a sympathetic smile. "Look, it's fine. You can have Gina. She's starting to be old news anyway. Really, I'm happy for you. You two are getting ready to publish soon, right? At least you'll have one professional accomplishment before you give it all up to start popping out babies."

Emily finds herself speechless despite the fact that her mind is screaming at her to think of a retort. Why had she thought coming in here was a good idea?

"It's been real, Pits" Cassandra says lightly over her shoulder, closing her locker and breezing past. "I'll think about you changing diapers on snotty nosed kids while I'm publishing my own medical studies. You'll find me under 'Kopelson'. Do you need me to write it down for you? I heard you sometimes even have a problem remembering your own name…."

Cassandra suddenly stops in surprise as the door of the locker room swings open and Micah enters. "Dr. Kopelson!" he says cordially, "Didn't think I'd see you again today. Good luck in Chicago."

"Aww, that's so nice! Thank you, Dr. B!" Cassandra says a little too sweetly, shooting Emily a smug smile as she slips out the door.

While he doesn't see Cassandra's smile, Micah DOES see the look on Emily's face. He looks from Emily's face to the door swinging shut behind him and then back to Emily.

"Uh oh" he says soberly. "What'd she do this time?"

"Oh, you know." Says Emily flippantly. "Only insinuated Gina Bandari is out of date and insulted our future children."

Micah considers this as he sits down beside her. "Well, she's gone now" he says in his "glass-half-full" voice, putting an arm around her as they stare at the door.

"You know, you'd think age and maturity would help in dealing with a person like that, but it doesn't" Emily says with exasperation. "I know she lashes out when she's threatened, but it still gets me every time!"

"Well, at least you know she's wrong" states Micah matter-of-factly. "Gina Bandari is still doing ground breaking work, and has chosen YOU to basically be her personal protégé. You'll be publishing and presenting next year while Cassandra is still trying to get her feet under her in Chicago. And as for our future children," he finishes, looking into her eyes with a smile. "How could they be anything but awesome?"

"How is it you always know exactly what to say to make me feel better?" asks Emily, looking at her husband with affection.

"Speaking of," says Micah, a sudden twinkle entering his eyes. "Do you want to tell me about the name incident from this morning that I keep hearing about?"

Emily just groans as she buries her face in his shoulder. "The gossip in this place is seriously out of control!"


	7. G is for Grief

The third person who asks if she knows where Micah is has also found his pager, so Emily decides it is finally time to investigate. On instinct, she heads to the roof and finds him in a relatively secluded corner staring off into the distance, an intense look of concentration on his face. She guesses immediately that he is trying to keep his emotions in check, and she knows exactly how he feels.

They have had to deliver devastating news to their patients today, news that additionally hit close to home for both of them. While this sort of a case on any day is hard, the significance of today's date makes it seem like an impossibly cruel trick of fate. Maybe they should have taken the day off after all.

She walks over and sits beside Micah, glancing at him once before also turning her eyes to the horizon and conjuring up in her memories the same person she knows he is thinking about too. As clearly as if they had all been together only yesterday, Emily hears the sound of Joyce Barnes' laughter and sees her motherly smile.

It's been exactly a year since they said goodbye. They see death regularly at the hospital, but the experience of close personal loss had been something else entirely. Micah had tried to be impossibly strong, especially for the sake of his sister. "It's your mother, not a patient" Emily had had to remind him gently. "It's okay to cry."

They had hardly slept during those weeks. Amid the regular rigor of her duties at the hospital, Emily had helped the family as much as she could with errands and the constant stream of visitors and phone calls. Then, there had been the long and emotional hours of waiting for death followed by even more visitors, stacks of paperwork, funeral planning, and another endless round of phone calls.

At the funeral, Micah had clenched her right hand so tightly she had nearly lost feeling in her fingers, his other arm wrapped tightly around the shoulders of his sister who had sobbed openly through the whole service with a box of tissues in her lap. As much as she loved Joyce, Emily had questioned her right to sit in the front row with the immediate family until Micah had put an end to her concerns about etiquette.

"You ARE family. And I need you there." he had said firmly with a heartbreaking tremor in his voice. And that had been the end of the conversation. She was glad, really. She feels the same way. Micah is her family. Joyce had been her family. Emily still misses the older woman with all her heart.

Emily's audible sigh as she gazes at the view from the hospital roof seems to startle Micah, and he turns to her as though only now realizing she is there.

"You dropped your pager" she says, holding it out to him with a gentle smile in answer to the question in his eyes.

"Thanks" he says, coming further out of his trance as he takes the pager from her hand and sticks it in his pocket. "Do they need me?"

Emily shrugs noncommittally. "If so, they'll page you again." She says simply.

Micah gives her a wan smile, taking her hand in his own before turning again to stare into the distance.

"What a day, huh?" Emily asks quietly.

"I just needed a minute."

Emily leans her head against his shoulder, willing to stay there with him as long as he needs. And for the moment, in the fading light, they grieve together, quietly remembering.


	8. H is for Hospital Visit

Dr. Micah Barnes is frantic when he enters the emergency room. Doing a quick scan of the area, he makes a beeline for Bay 5 and flings open the curtain, startling the entire group inside.

Emily, dressed in her street clothes, has on latex gloves and is carefully finishing up a line of sutures just above the right eyebrow of a little boy whose red eyes and quivering lip indicate he has only recently stopped crying. A nurse stands on the other side of the exam table bouncing a chattering baby girl.

"What happened?!" Micah demands, the fear in the pit of his stomach making his tone much sharper than he intended.

"I falled down!" exclaims the little boy excitedly, immediately trying to get up from his seat.

Emily shushes him, forcing him to be still again as she ties off the last stitch. "I think he hit his head on the coffee table" she elaborates. "Although, that ugly crystal vase my mother gave us got broken somehow, so it's possible he ran into the shelves too…maybe bounced off one into the other…"

By this time, Micah has pushed past Emily and has the boy's chin in his hand, examining her work carefully. "You checked for glass?"

"This isn't my first day on the job, Dr. Barnes. Of course I did!" says Emily, a hint of irritation present in her voice.

The nurse clears her throat nervously. "Dr Barnes?"

"Yes?" Emily and Micah both respond, looking at her suddenly.

"I really should be getting back to work…" she stammers, nodding to the baby in her arms who is now squirming happily and reaching for Micah.

"Right. Thanks, Sunny." Says Micah, taking the baby from her.

"Always good to see the kids. Glad everyone's okay." She says quickly as she rushes past.

"All done, Mommy?" asks the little boy hopefully, looking up at Emily.

"All done, Baby." she replies, smoothing back his hair.

But Micah isn't done. "What's the rule about the living room, young man?" he asks sternly coming back to stand before the guilty party as he unconsciously continues to bounce the baby girl in his arms.

"No running." Says the boy, hanging his head guiltily.

"Sweetheart, we have rules for a reason" says Emily crouching down so she is eye level with their son. "Mommy and Daddy don't want you to get hurt like you did today. And we need you to remember that following rules is important, which is why we'll have to talk about a consequence when we get home."

"What's a consequence?" asks the little boy, puzzled.

It's at that moment that Micah's pager goes off. He shifts the baby to his other arm and checks it before looking at Emily ruefully. "I've gotta take this."

"Go!" says Emily. "We'll be fine."

"Yeah?" he says, handing her the baby.

"Yeah." She says confidently, smiling at him.

Micah lifts the little boy's chin again until brown eyes meet brown eyes. "You be good for Mommy the rest of the day. Okay, buddy?"

"Okay, Daddy."

"That's my boy." says Micah, planting a noisy kiss on his head. "I love you."

"And I love you, too" he says more quietly to Emily, kissing her and tickling the baby. "I shouldn't be too late tonight. Whatever you think is fair punishment is fine."

"Okay," Emily calls after him. "Just remember that whatever I choose will be your job to implement tomorrow while I'm here at work!"


	9. I is for Interns

The door to the otherwise empty surgeons' lounge swings open with slightly more force than necessary, causing Micah to look up from the newspaper he is reading while he eats his lunch. "Ugh!" huffs Emily, plopping unceremoniously into the chair next to him and reaching for the untouched half of his sandwich. "Are all interns ridiculously hard to deal with or did I just get lucky?"

Micah can't help chuckling at her frustration as he carefully folds the paper. "Well, as I recall, our very first conversation happened in a stairwell where you were stuffing your face with vending machine comfort food and ranting about the hardships of having to work with both your high school nemesis and your med school crush. Wouldn't you call that a little ridiculous?"

Emily suddenly assumes what he calls her "know-it-all" face. "Actually," she says while carefully picking the tomato out of his sandwich. "Our very first conversation happened in the morning during rounds when you told me to breathe."

He stares at her, lost in thought for a moment before a sudden grin crosses his face. "I had forgotten that." he says watching her take another bite of sandwich. Just as quickly, the grin disappears.

"You do remember that you have a lunch over there in the fridge, right? The sandwich you made this morning WITHOUT tomato?"

Emily looks at him and pouts. "I don't want to walk all the way over there and get it."

Micah sighs and rolls his eyes at her before getting up to retrieve her lunch from the fridge. "If I called you Dr. Kopelson right now, you would completely deserve it."

"Mean!" says Emily, her mouth full of his sandwich. Micah sets her lunch in front of her, carefully removing half. He puts the tomato she has previously discarded onto the new sandwich and exaggerates placing his plate outside of her reach. She responds by plopping her feet up onto his lap.

"Give the interns time" he says seriously, giving her ankles an affectionate squeeze. "Put yourself in their shoes and remember how scared you were and how new everything was. What they really need right now is an ally, someone they know will have their backs no matter what. If they feel that from you, they will be more likely to come to you with their problems."

Emily smiles at him lovingly. "Thank you" she says. "I always thought you were a fantastic resident."

"Just don't fall in love with any of your interns" suggests Micah drily, reopening his newspaper. "I hear it can get messy."

Emily laughs just as her pager begins to beep. "Why would I need one of them when I have you?"

"Gotta go." She groans, getting up and giving him a quick kiss. "And just so you know," she whispers seductively in his ear "I never actually gave up the vending machine food". As she reaches the door, she grabs the ring dings package out of her lab coat pocket and waves it at him before exiting.

As the door closes behind her, it is Micah's turn to laugh.


	10. J is for Joyce

"Knock, knock!" says Emily brightly, entering Joyce's room at the hospital.

"Emily! You look beautiful, Sweetheart! Turn around and let me see the back." exclaims Joyce happily, putting down her magazine as Emily does a slow turn just inside the door.

"Hot date tonight?" Joyce asks teasingly as Emily finishes her fashion show and comes over to sit on the edge of the bed.

"_Totally_ hot" says Emily conspiratorially to Joyce. "Do you mind if I wait for him here?"

"Not at all" says Joyce companionably. "I'd like to meet this guy. Make sure he's good enough for you."

"Oh he's good enough." Emily proclaims confidently before dropping her voice to a secretive whisper. "And you know what's even better? I really like his mom."

Joyce smiles lovingly and reaches for Emily's hand, giving it a squeeze. "She really likes you too, honey."

"So how are you feeling?" Emily asks Joyce gently, still holding her hand. She can tell the older woman is trying to hide some amount of discomfort.

"Tired and still nauseous" admits Joyce honestly, letting her guard down for a minute. "This last round of drugs has been really hard. But please don't tell Micah. He's so positive about this clinical trial, and he will just worry. I hate seeing him worry."

Emily squeezes Joyce's hand. "Me too" she says truthfully.

Joyce hesitates for a moment before speaking again. "Emily, I want to ask you something, but I'm not sure I should."

Emily looks at her questioningly

"I….I was wondering if you would promise me you'll look after Micah when I'm gone?"

"Joyce…"

"I worry about my children, Emily. Liz will always have Micah. He may not always be happy with her choices, but he's a good brother. But Micah…" Joyce's voice trembles a little. "My Micah Mouse is going to need someone to look after him too. Losing me is going to be hard on him…and….I just thought…"

"Joyce," interrupts Emily, squeezing the older woman's hand. "Of course I will."

A knowing smile appears on Joyce's face. "He loves you, Emily. I've never seen him as happy as he is with you. And you love him too, don't you?"

Emily can't seem to control her blushing grin as she nods her head in agreement.

"You two are going to have such cute babies!" Joyce exclaims suddenly. As Emily's face turns a deep shade of red, the older woman's hand flies to her mouth as she realizes what she's just said. They both begin to laugh.

It's at this moment that Micah enters the room.

"Oh good, you're here...Wait a minute. What's so funny?"

"Nothing." says Joyce guiltily as both women turn their attention to Micah and try to compose themselves.

"What's up?" asks Emily.

"We're going to have to take a rain check on dinner." says Micah, the confusion on his face quickly turning to a look of regret.

"Surgery?" asks Emily, trying to mask her disappointment as Joyce clucks reprovingly.

"Yeah. Room 524. Turns out it can't wait until morning. They're prepping now."

"Need help?" Emily asks hopefully. She doesn't get to work with Micah very often anymore, and the idea of scrubbing in with him is appealing.

Micah sighs and shakes his head. "Sorry, we've got Tyra and Will on this one."

"Okay" says Emily, completely disheartened.

"Micah!" scolds Joyce, interrupting. "Aren't you at least going to tell Emily how nice she looks before you stand her up?"

Micah and Emily grin at each other. "You look REALLY nice" says Micah sincerely to Emily. "I was really looking forward to tonight."

"Yeah, me too" says Emily.

Micah suddenly looks embarrassed. He shoots a quick glance at Joyce, clearly assessing the risk, before he addresses Emily again. "Come and kiss me goodbye?" he asks Emily sheepishly, his voice quiet as though he hopes his mother can't hear him.

Emily looks at him through narrowed eyes as if considering the request. Out of the corner of her eye, she can see Joyce grinning widely. After another moment of letting Micah squirm, she finally puts on her haughty face and stalks over to him, reaching up to give him a chaste kiss only to have him pull her in tight.

"Thank you" he says huskily with a grin when he finally releases her. The inside joke between them makes her laugh. "You headed home?"

"Actually," says Emily, stepping away from his arms with a glance back at the delighted Joyce, "I think I'll stay here for a while."

As she moves back over to the hospital bed, Micah looks at the pair quizzically before shaking his head. "Why does the idea of the two of you spending time together always make me nervous?"

"Why Micah!" scolds Joyce teasingly as she makes room for Emily to lounge on the bed beside her. "What a thing to say!"

Micah's unease is palpable as he looks at the two most important women in his life settling into the pillows on the hospital bed. He seems about to say something more when his pager goes off.

"They're probably waiting for you." Emily points out from her perch next to Joyce.

Micah starts suddenly, glancing at his pager and giving them a quick nod as he turns to go. As an afterthought, he returns to the doorway, eyes narrowed. "Stay out of trouble" he warns finally before hurrying on his way.

He tries to ignore the peals of laughter that follow him down the hall.


	11. K is for Kelly

It is bad enough to find out upon arriving for your shift in the morning that you are assigned to work with your new boyfriend's ex-girlfriend, Dr. Kelly Hamata, for the day. It is slightly worse to begin the assignment with the paranoid impression that said ex-girlfriend, whom you admittedly like as a person, already knows about your relationship and is trying to hide her jealousy.

Dating Micah isn't really a secret. That would imply you are doing something wrong, which you definitely are NOT. It's just that both of you are trying to keep things especially professional at work given your current Resident and Intern relationship, and with the way news tends to spread at the hospital…well, ultimately the less said, the better.

However, when your best friend Tyra comes to check on you midmorning, sympathizing with your predicament and complimenting you on how well you are handling the way the entire OB/GYN floor is talking about you behind your back, well, THAT'S when the discovery that there are still 6 ½ hours of shift left becomes unbearable.

"Wait a minute. What are they saying, Tyra?"

"Oh Em, you better sit down. And remember, I'm only telling you this because I'm your friend…"

Needless to say, by the time a chance for a break rolls around, "awkward" doesn't even come close to describing the kind of day Emily is having. Kelly is definitely trying too hard, alternating between overly friendly and blatant avoidance. In the meantime, Emily's nerves are shot between trying to ignore the glances and whispers of the nurses and trying so hard to be the perfect intern for the day so Kelly won't have anything to complain about.

There is only one person who can answer all the new and confusing questions racing through her mind after her talk with Tyra, and Emily finally finds him on the roof, relaxing in one of the communal folding chairs. His head is tipped back and his eyes are closed as he basks in the warmth of the afternoon sun.

She barely remembers to make sure they are alone before the most pressing question on her mind bursts out of her mouth.

"Did you break up with Kelly because of me?"

"What?" Micah lifts his head and looks at her, blinking in the sunlight. His face registers surprise, then confusion, and finally suspicion.

"Why?" he asks, eyes narrowing.

"I got assigned to OB today and it's awful! Everyone seems to be staring at me, and Kelly has been trying WAY too hard to be nice, so I was already pretty sure she had heard about us, but then Tyra showed up and said everybody on that floor has been talking about us for days and that the most recent rumor going around is…"

"Unbelievable" mutters Micah, leaning his head back and closing his eyes again, clearly irritated.

Emily stops short. "Unbelievable that I'm worried about what other people think or that I'm asking you about your ex?"

"No, I mean the gossip in this hospital is unbelievable!" exclaims Micah heatedly, sitting up suddenly. "You have every right to ask me about Kelly. The fact that you are asking me because people at work are making up their own stories about our personal lives again genuinely ticks me off!"

When he sees the surprise in her eyes at his outburst, he leans back again in his chair, mollified. "Sorry" he says sincerely, brushing a hand across his forehead. "I think… I'm just….my mom..."

Emily knows. She moves to sit by him, giving his hand an affectionate squeeze.

"So you want to know all the gory details about my break-up with Kelly?" He asks, his voice lighter and a touch playful.

Emily smiles bashfully and nods her head.

"Well, let's see. I guess it kind of started on your birthday. Kelly wouldn't come with me to your party because she thought I had a 'thing' for you."

"That was the day your mom asked if we were dating too" recalls Emily aloud.

"Exactly! So I was already really on edge about the whole thing when I got to your place, and then you played your cello, and I thought it was amazing. And then I started thinking about how many other amazing things there are about you like how good you are with patients, how well you get along with my mom, how smart and funny and beautiful you are, and it suddenly dawned on me that Kelly was right. I did…DO have a 'thing' for you." He finishes, looking at her.

It's a warm look, and the careful way he says "thing" makes Emily blush. Neither of them have been brave enough yet to fully label their feelings for each other, but Emily suddenly has a premonition that someday, when she asks him when he "knew", when they are both more emotionally prepared for the full version of what changed that night, he's going to tell her this story again.

"And that's when you got all distant and professional at work" supplies Emily, interrupting the story. "You were trying to save your relationship with Kelly even though you had feelings for me!" All those weeks of wondering what had changed between them suddenly made sense.

"Hey! A-You're my intern and B-you were still in love with Will at the time!" says Micah, defensively. "I'm surprised you even remember me being at your party with all the googly eyes you were making at him."

"Of course I remember you." Emily says quietly. "I was so glad to see you there and then you didn't stay."

"I don't think I was really ready to face what was happening yet either" admits Micah with a sigh. "And I owed it to Kelly to try a little harder for us. Kelly's a great girl. She and I had a good time together."

"But then you broke up with her."

Micah nods.

"Because of me."

Micah wobbles his head indecisively for a moment before reluctantly nodding. "If you want to put it that way, yes, but if it makes you feel better, I think it would have ended eventually anyway."

"You told me you broke up with Kelly because you both wanted different things" accuses Emily, eyes narrowing.

"We did! She wanted me, and I wanted you," laughs Micah, glancing at his watch. "Come on, we should get back."

As they stand, Micah moves closer, causing Emily's heart to begin racing. "Do you remember what you said to me up here the night after my mom's surgery?" he asks quietly, looking deeply into her eyes.

"That I was over Will? You had already broken up with Kelly by then." says Emily, confused.

Micah shakes his head. "You said you wanted to be someone's first choice." He corrects her.

He pulls her close "You tell all those stupid gossips that I broke up with Kelly because you are MY first choice" he murmurs in her ear before kissing her deeply.

There may still be 3 1/4 hours left to her shift, but for the time being Emily lets all other thoughts and worries go and concentrates solely on melting further into Micah's embrace.


	12. L is for Liz

As a child, the one thing Emily always wanted more than anything else was a sister. She had said as much to her mother once and been crushed by the response that it was never going to happen. Naturally, when she found out Micah had a sister, Emily had been delighted. Joyce and Micah already felt like family, so it was fantastic to know there was yet another Barnes with the potential of filling the sister role in her life. Micah was curiously reticent about the two meeting, making disparaging comments about his sister's choices and behaviors, but that was normal behavior for older brothers, right?

As it turns out, Micah's concerns were completely justified thinks Emily now, sitting with Liz Barnes at a table in the hospital cafeteria, clutching her coffee and desperately trying to think of something to say in order to fill the awkward silence. Liz is scowling, sunk into her chair and picking at the polish on one of her fingernails. Emily wonders for the hundredth time how such a sullen and unruly person could possibly belong to the Barnes family she knows. She also wonders again why she ever thought volunteering to spend time with Liz was a good idea.

"Stupid question, Emily." her mind immediately answers. "You are doing this for Micah and Joyce, so make an effort. Find something… anything…to talk about!"

"So do you have a boyfriend?" she asks, trying the first topic that comes to her mind.

"Sort of" says Liz, not even looking up. "He's kind of boring, so I'm thinking about breaking it off."

"Oh" says Emily, awkwardly.

She tries again. "Your mom said you work at a hair salon. That must be interesting."

"I quit." states Liz bluntly, looking directly at Emily as if challenging her to comment.

"Huh." says Emily, trying to mask her chagrin by quickly taking a sip of coffee.

Liz leans forward suddenly, still looking at Emily, her eyes narrowing.

"So what's going on between you and my brother?" she asks.

Emily almost chokes on her drink.

"Nothing" she stammers.

Liz sits back in her chair, smirking. "Liar" she says. "I've seen the way you two look at each other, and my mom won't stop talking about you. It's like you're the one who's actually her daughter or something."

"That's not true" Emily replies defensively. "Your mom was really excited that you were coming. She even showed me a bunch of pictures from when you were a kid."

"Well I bet Mouse wasn't happy." snorts Liz. "He is so full of it sometimes! He thinks he's so much better than I am just because he's a big fancy doctor or something." Liz's voice is thick with irritation and her volume is beginning to rise.

"I'm sure Micah loves you." says Emily gently, "He probably just worries about you. Isn't that what big brothers are supposed to do?"

Liz's eyes narrow. "You think he's right to be worried about me, don't you?" she challenges.

Emily, realizing she has just trapped herself, takes another sip of coffee and looks towards the entry, hoping desperately that Micah will come around the corner and save her from this conversation.

"What is so wrong with who I am?" Liz exclaims, slamming her hands down on the table, and causing the other people in the cafeteria to look their direction.

Emily shoots an apologetic smile in the direction of the closest occupied tables as her mind reels. This conversation is going to spin completely out of control if she doesn't figure out how to rally in the next few moments.

"We've all got our own stuff to deal with." Says Emily quietly. "You should hear how badly I screwed up this week."

"I'm listening" says Liz, calming as she waits expectantly for Emily to talk.

So Emily takes a deep breath and tells Liz about her crush on Will, her enmity with Cassandra, her confusion in developing feelings for her boss, and the night with Will a few days ago that has strained things with Micah to the point that she wonders if it will ever be repairable.

When she finishes, Liz sits quietly for a moment, before finally taking a sip of coffee. "You're really messed up" she says.

Emily lets out the breath she didn't realize she had been holding. "Do you have any advice on how to fix things with Micah?"

"Are you really sure you want to date him?" asks Liz dubiously.

"Yes!" exclaims Emily. "Will was a mistake….a giant, colossal mistake. I just…I had wanted him for so long, that when he showed up at my door I turned into Old Emily again. And now Micah can hardly even speak to me."

"Does my mom know?" asks Liz, clearly still pondering the situation.

"I don't know" groans Emily, putting her head in her hands.

"Probably not" says Liz suddenly. "Mouse is pretty protective that way, so I doubt he's told her. That's good for us, 'cause I know she really likes you."

Emily looks up at her in surprise. "Us?"

"Here's what we're going to do" says Liz, leaning conspiratorially towards Emily, her eyes narrowing again. "I'm going to talk to Mouse and see if I can't get him back on your side, but if you guys start dating, you have to promise me you'll stick up for me when he starts to get all judgmental."

"Okay" says Emily, still in shock from the drastic change in Liz's attitude and the direction the conversation has taken in the last few minutes.

"You're okay, Emily Owens" says Liz taking another sip of her coffee and sitting back in her chair. "A little anal, maybe, but that's probably why my family likes you so much. I can see how you'd be good for my brother."

Emily is speechless.

"So what time is Mom supposed to be done with her lab work?" asks Liz suddenly, checking her watch.

"We could go check" says Emily invitingly.

"Okay" says Liz, rising. "The coffee in this hospital tastes like crap." She says in disgust, pitching her cup into the trash.

"Right?" agrees Emily with a smile. "The doctors usually get their coffee at the coffee cart across the street. I don't know why Micah didn't tell you that."

"Probably thought I would do something stupid and he would never be allowed to get good coffee again" says Liz with a snort.

Emily laughs good-naturedly although she hasn't really been listening. She is too distracted by the fact that not only has she successfully bonded with Liz Barnes, but she's feeling hopeful about the Micah situation for the first time in days.

"I knew having a sister was a good thing", she thinks contentedly as they walk down the hall towards the elevator.


	13. M is for Music

**Author's Note: **_Whew! Long time between updates. Life happens, but I do promise I will eventually get to them all! Funny story about this one...it is completely interchangeable with "C"! I could have titled them "Cello" and "Mother" instead of "Complicated" and "Music." Ha._

In Junior High, Emily chooses the cello because it is the instrument her dad plays.

She has the whole story worked out in her head. She will become a famous cellist, move to New York City and study at Julliard. After reading multiple reviews about her remarkable skill, her father will come to one of her performances to hear for himself how talented she is. When she begins to play, he will immediately recognize her as his daughter, and they will be reunited backstage. In an effort to make up for lost time, they will then spend the rest of their days touring the world as a father/daughter cello duo.

All these lofty dreams are ultimately shattered the first time she is offered an audition for a solo. She declines because the pressure of impressing an audience is just too much. She can't reunite with her father if she is only a mediocre cellist. No, she isn't willing to audition for a solo until she knows she's ready. Unfortunately, the moment of feeling ready never comes, and after a few years, she decides becoming a surgeon is a better option for her future. She figures there still might be an opportunity to reunite with her father some day; she'll just have to find a way to save his life.

Because Emily genuinely enjoys playing the cello, she keeps up with her lessons. She plays in the orchestra all through high school and even for a few years in undergrad. In med school, however, music takes a back seat to her studies and the cello finds a permanent home under her bed. The instrument remains mostly forgotten until, during her intern year at Denver Memorial, Will Collins discovers her secret on her birthday and pressures her into finally performing solo for an audience of work friends and colleagues.

This first solo performance turns out to be the catalyst in helping Dr. Micah Barnes finally realize he is falling in love with Emily Owens. It's the most confident he has ever seen her outside of the OR, and he is enchanted. As she loses herself in the music, he loses himself in watching her. He loves the way her nimble fingers move up and down the finger board, the long, sweeping movements of her bowing arm, and the relaxed, confident smile on her face as she lets the music carry her away. Despite his best efforts, this image of Emily and her cello haunts him over the next several weeks until he is finally able to admit to himself that he is dating the wrong woman.

Micah doesn't ever get around to telling Emily that classical music is something they have in common. Instead, it comes up many months later in a conversation between Emily and his mother. There is very little that delights Joyce more than sharing stories about Little Micah Mouse with Emily, however, she is not prepared for the reaction she gets after mentioning her son's piano lessons.

"Wait, Micah took piano lessons?"

"From the age of six, all the way through college. Haven't you heard him play?"

"No! He's never even mentioned it!"

That evening, after much cajoling, the three find themselves gathered around a piano, and Micah plays several pieces from memory as Joyce and Emily listen. Emily notes Micah is almost a different person at the keyboard. He seems more relaxed and whole than she has ever seen him outside the OR. As his fingers move nimbly across the keys, Emily finds her own tensions from the day melting away. It's intoxicating, and Emily suddenly knows she'd be happy to listen to him play piano for the rest of her life.

After that, music becomes a regular part of their lives. They play to relax. They play to escape. They play for themselves. They play for each other. And, after Joyce insists on hearing a piano/cello duet, they sometimes play together.

In Junior High, Emily and Micah's daughter picks the cello because she thinks it is romantic.

She has the whole story worked out in her head. She wants to be a soloist. Being famous doesn't matter, but she wants to be good enough to have boys look at her the way her dad looks at her mom. The story of the birthday party cello performance has been her favorite since she was a little girl, and so she jumps at the first chance to perform a solo in a recital. Although nervous at first, the experience is not so scary when she spots her parents sitting in the front row and suddenly knows they will be proud of her no matter what happens.

Years later, as they watch their daughter, now a senior in high school, prepare to play a featured cello solo with the orchestra, Micah reaches for Emily's hand. "Like mother, like daughter" he whispers proudly in her ear. Emily just smiles at him as the music begins.

The truth is, the full version of the story is as much about the importance of love and family as it is about musical talent.


End file.
